Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-02-12

TAe last occasisn on which the Great
5phinx vas elsared down 10 she level
Oh which the pawn regs was IN houoE
81 fhe opening Of the Euex Canal. IN
1853. The ever dFifting sands had,
howeveF, rsbaFisd "a aimoss 10 the
threat when Prof. MasDsFe, during bis
IAaa year Of Office - Boaiak, began
again the wofk Of disinterment. This
work has nov besn going on, some
what inseFmittently, for more than
twelve months, and u is aa the present
time Ia active progress under tbs d.
recsion Of Professor Maspero's snsces-
scr. AZ. Grubans. A tramWay has been
edge Of she Pyramid plateau, passing
close under she west faee Of the granite
buiIdinR. peculiarly, though Incorrectly,
called the Femple Of the sphinx. AlenR
this tFamwsy light trucks convey the
sand - the paint whsrs their contents
are discharged, the trucks being loaded
b. Arabs Of both ssxes and all ages,
Who carry the sand upoa their heads
in large hAt baskets, ascending and de-
eosnding ell dag long from excavations
below 20 abe tramway above and visa
versa. The means look cursonsly mad
equats, but the results are astonishing.
Already lhe entire fore part Of the great
stone monster ia laid bare, and already
The hugh chest, the paws. she space be-
swean the paws, the altar in front Of
them, end the platform upon which
they rest, are onee mere open 90 the
light Of day. Nor IL this ell, Between
the sphinx and the edge Of the Pvra-
mid plateau q vast space has also been
cleared. TINS bringing 10 view fne
flight Of steps some forty feet IN width.
these steps, which are described BY
Piiny, were discovered By Ca1iglia in
1917, bat have been entirely lost 10 sight
for nearly seventy years. A second
hiRhs of sgep9 and the remains Of two
Roman baildinRs we're also found By
Cayialia, and will again be brought 10
light If NJ. GrebAat continues TO work
Ia this direction.
To the right Of Sphinx-that is 10 say,
IN the direction OF the granite temple,
20 tue aoathsard--a further excavations
IL 10 progress, the fesuls Of which will
probably cpnhrm the aurtnises Of those
Who believe the Sphinx 10 stand in the
midst OF hage artificial amphitEesteF
hawn cat Of the solid rock. Thls gigRn-
SIC work would, Of course, be csntem-
poFaneaRs With she SPANK itself. which
Msgieste attributed 10 the mythio ages
before the advent Of Msna. the FIRST
King OF she arst dynasty, and which
AaspeFo considers 10 he, u not actually
pre- HISTORICAL all events The oldest mon
nment In Egypt.
From the lev Of The AREA below she
great Digit OF steps (whieh lead down.
and not up, 10 the y Shinx) oae nov
measuring the whole height Of the huge
hnman- headed monster, whose battered
e0anfnnanoe stands 1at against She
elundless sky one hundred feed above.
The space between the paws il skiFty-
Eve feet long and ten fest vide. This
space was anciently converted Into 9
small sanctuary lined with vofive tab
lets, oaly one Of Which-the famous
stella Of rhothmes lV.--yet remains IN
sifa. This stella records how the King,
wban upon ons Of bis bunting expedi-
tians, lay down 10 rest as midday IN the
shadows OF the sphinx. He there fell
asleep and dreamed dream Ia which
the venerable image eoniared him 20
clear assay the sand in which IL Vas
nearly buried. Then the Prince awoke
and made silence In his hsart,H and
vowed 70 do what the god had COM
nanded.
TIE paws ct the Sphinx, as they nov
appear are q restoration Of Remain date,
being cased Ia comparatively small
slabs, and 20 aonne extent hollow ander-
meath. Tie breast Of tee sphinx has
likawise been faced 10 slabs, apparently
in Roman times; and these slabs have
again hean repatrd By cutting awAy the
we4fhared surface and inserting afresh
facins. Ltke the LEGS Of the Coloasi of
the Plain, and those Of the great stat
ufes AZ Aooo Himhei, the paws Of The
sphinx are covered with tue Greek
acrauIs Of early travellers, but thesa
eEaftl.t are mostly Of iahe period and
20 slightly scratshed that fev are iegibls
throughout. Such as they are, however,
Prof. MaspsFo has, Il 10 understood, de-
voted himself 10 the anRFatsfal and
difhealt task Of trAnsiatisg then.
A. 6rehaat's excavations are not
limited 30 the esearanes Of the sphinx
only. VaFioas interesting sombs have
lately bean discovered in the vicinity OF
the great Pyramid, and 10 the westward
The facs Of the IAbyan elf has been
reached. where il forms the natural
boundary Of The Pyramid plateau.
Saaao seod early roek cut inmhs. With
built fore coaFts, have hsen found in
the face sf ahia olid, In two Of uhleh
the walled ap fecassss ef secrei cham
hers. called q serdAhs, which were con-
sirneted Tor the safe keeping % fuBera
~ pertEAit statues. aFe yea intact With
their contents.
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